Newark, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils put together a strong all-around performance Saturday night, skating past the Utah Mammoth 4–1 at the Prudential Center.
Jesper Bratt led the way with a goal and an assist as the Devils snapped recent offensive struggles and earned their second win in five games. Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, and Dougie Hamilton also found the net for New Jersey, which improved to 22–17–2 on the season.
Brett Pesce played a key role on both ends of the ice, recording two assists and blocking five shots. Jack Hughes added two assists, marking his first multi-point outing since returning five games ago from an 18-game absence due to a hand injury.
New Jersey wasted little time setting the tone. Bratt and Meier scored in the opening period to give the Devils an early advantage, with Pesce assisting on both goals. Meier’s tally was his first since December 9 after missing five games earlier in the month due to a family matter.
The Devils extended the lead midway through the second period when Hischier redirected a power-play shot past Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka at 15:13. The goal marked Hischier’s 12th of the season and his second in as many games after enduring a 13-game scoring drought.
Just 90 seconds later, Hamilton made it 4–0, finishing off a play created by Luke Glendening. The goal ended Hamilton’s 26-game goal drought, with his last score coming on October 28.
Utah (19–20–3) broke through in the third period when Michael Carcone scored, assisted by Barrett Hayton and Sean Durzi. The Mammoth, however, couldn’t mount a comeback and suffered their fourth loss in six games.
Jacob Markstrom anchored the Devils’ defensive effort with 30 saves, while Vejmelka turned aside 26 shots for Utah.
The victory was notable for New Jersey, which entered the game ranked last among Eastern Conference teams in goals scored. The Devils have now posted an 11–7–2 record at home, though nine of those wins came earlier in the season.
Up Next:
Utah visits the New York Rangers on Monday, while New Jersey hosts the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
